Wooden shipping and packing box.



Patented Oct. 9, I900.

I R. B. FULLER. WOODEN SHIPPING AND PACKING BOX.

3 Sheets-Sheet I.

(Application filed Oct. 19, 1899.) (No Model.)

W/Ta/ESSES IN VENTO/i ATTORNEYS THE N'oRms warms co. Fuorou'mou WASHINGTON. A:v c.

No. 659,224. Patented Oct. 9, I900.

, a. B. FULLER.

WOODEN SHIPPING AND PACKING BOX.

(Applicatiun filed Oct. 19, 1899.) (No Model. 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

/N VENTOH A TTOHNE rs No. 659,224. Patelifd Oct. 9, I900.

n. B. FULLER.

WOODEN SHIPPING AND PACKING BOX.

(Application filed Oct. 19, 1899.]

3 Sheots-Sheet 3. i

(No Modal.)

- ATTOH'N rs 'INITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

RUSSELL BRAINARD FULLER, OF HOLLAND, MICHIGAN.

WOODEN SHIPPING AND PACKING BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 659,224, dated October 9, 1900.

Application filed October 19, 1899. Serial No. 734,039. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, RUSSELL BRAINARD FULLER, of Holland, in the county of Ottawa and State of Michigan, have invented a new and Improved Wooden Shipping-and Packing Box, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved wooden shipping and packing box, more especially designed for perishable goods-such as fruits, vegetables, and the like-and arranged to insure a perfect ventilation of the goods and to permit of conveniently storing and packing a large number of boxes in railroad-cars or other ediu ms of transportation without the use 0 shelves and without danger of crushing the goods or injuring the same by rough handling.

The invention consists of novel features and parts and combinations of the same, as will be fully described hereinafter and then pointed out'in the claims.

A practical embodiment of my invention is represented in the accompanying drawings,- forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the improvement. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same on the line 2 2 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the crate. Fig. 4 is a transverse section of a modified form of the improvement. Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the lockinghook. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of part' of the crate in a knockdown position. Fig. 7 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of a modified form of the improvement. Fig. 8- is a perspective View of the basket shown suspended in the crate in Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a perspective view of another modified form of the basket. Fig. 10 is a like view of the crate for the basket shown in Fig. 9, and Fig. 11 is a cross-section of the assembled basket and crate shown in Figs. 9 and 10.

The improved wooden shipping and pack ing box illustrated more particularly in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 consists, essentially, of a, crate A, having one, two, or more compartments for supporting a like number of baskets B, the latter being suspended at their upper ends in the upper portion of the crate, as hereinafter more fully described, so that the sides andends of each basket are free from contact with the sides and ends of the crate. The crate shown in detail in Fig. 3 consists of end posts G and partitionposts 0, the several posts being connected with each other at their sides and at the bottom by longitudinal bars 0 the end posts being connected at their bottoms by the end bars 0 Side bars 0 connect the posts with each other at their sides, and end bars 0 connect the end posts 0 with each other, and similar bars 0 connect the end posts with each other at the inside thereof, and like bars C 0 connect the partition-posts with each other at thetop and bottom. As shown, the posts 0 0, together with the cross bars C extend somewhat above the bars 0 C and O to form a suspension-frame for suspending the baskets B in the crate.

At the upper ends or tops of the end posts 0 is adapted to be fastened a cover D, made with a top D' and end bottom cleats D secured to the top D, at the under side thereof, and nailed or otherwise fastened to the tops of the posts 0. On the top D of the cover D are also secured transverse cleats D directlyover the cleats D but shorter than the latter, so as to leave sufficient space for the lower ends of a second crate to be placed or stacked upon the crate in question. By this arrangement the cleats D prevent the second crate from moving laterally or transversely, thus guarding against accidental displacement of the crates when stacked upon one another.

Each basket 13 has its body portion formed of two pieces of veneer crossed in such a manner as to form two superimposed bottom'pieces E E, the slotted ends E being integral with the bottom piece E, and the slotted sides E being integral with the bottom piece E. The upper edges of the ends E and sides E are bound bya continuous metallic flange F, preferably made inverted- U shape in cross-section, the outer portion of the flange being seated on the side bars 0 and the cross-bars O 0 as plainlyindicated in Figs. 1 and 2, to suspend the baskets in the crate independently of each other and without the lower portions of the baskets beingin contact with any part of the crate.

In order to stifien the basket, I prefer to bind the same between the flange F and the bottom of the basket with an external band G, fastened by staples or other devices G to the ends E and sides E By reference to Fig. 1 it will be seen that the top edges of the binding-flanges F are belo the top D of the cover, so that the fruits or other vegetables packed in the basket are not liable to be injured by the top D coming in contact with the uppermost layer of the goods packed in the basket.

As illustrated in Figs. -:t and 5, the baskets may be secured in position on their suspension-frame in the crate by hooks H, connecting the basket-flanges with the side bars 0 and cross-bars O and 0 but in this case the flanges are preferably made of two wooden strips F F, engaging the sides and ends of the baskets at the inside and outside, as is plainly indicated in said Fig. 4. If desired, the bottom of the basket may be strengthened by interposing a stiffening-bottom E between the bottom pieces and E from which extend integrally the sides E and the ends E the same as above described in reference to Figs. 1 and 2, the cover D and the crate for this basket being the same as described and shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. From the foregoing it is evident that the baskets are suspended in the crates in such a manner that the air can freely circulate between the baskets and to the goods contained therein, owing to the slots in the sides and ends of the basket, and also by having the upper ends of the baskets terminate a distance below the top D of the cover when the baskets are inserted in the crates and the covers are in position.

The side bars 0 and O are preferably fastened by transverse nails to the end and partition posts 0 C, as illustrated in Figs. 3and 6, so that when the crate is not in use it can be readily knocked down or folded by using the nails as pivots for the ends and partitions of the crate to swing on.

As shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the crate I is arranged with a single compartment to receive and suspend a single basket J, made substantially as described in reference to Fig. l, but suspended on hooks K, driven into the binding-flange J of the basket and hooked upon the cross-bars C of the crate. The basket itself has the two bottom pieces J J and an intervening stiffening bottom piece J nonslotted ends J beingintegral with the bottom piece J and the non-slotted sides J integral with the bottom piece J. The flange J is formed of separate strips J and J for the outside and inside of the sides J, and similar strips J and J engage the upper portions of the ends J The inner strips J are somewhat shorter than the outer strips. J to allow the ends of the strips J J to abut against the strips J and against the portion of the ends J cut out to correspond to the length of the inner strips J (See Fig. 8.) L shaped corner-pieces J may be employed to fasten the flange-sections at the corners of the boX, as indicated in Fig. 8.

In the arrangement shown in Figs. 9, 10, and 11 the basket L is Without ends and is formed by a series of strips bent into U shape to produce a bottom portion L and side portions L The side portions on each side of the basket are bound in by inner and outer strips L 'L in such a manner that spaces are left between the parts to allow circulation of air. The inner strips L are somewh at shorter than the outer strips L and the latter are adapted to be seated on the upper bars N of the crate N, in which the basket is to be suspended, the ends of the crate being formed of a number of transverse bars N so that when the crate is in position the bars N form the ends not only for the crate, but also for the basket.

The cover 0 for the crate is made of single strips spaced apart and secured to the ends of the crate. A reinforcing-bar N connects the ends of the crate with each other at the bottom to give the desired strength to the crate.

From the foregoing it is evident that for differently constructed baskets the crates must be constructed accordingly.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A crate, comprising the end posts, bars connecting the two end posts of a side at the top and bottom, bars connecting the end posts at the top and at the outer side thereof, bars connecting the upper portions of said end posts at the inner sides, the said inner bars having their top surfaces on a lower plane than the outer end bars, and abasket adapted to be suspended in the crate.

2. A crate, comprising the end posts, the partition-posts, bars connecting the end posts and partition-posts of a side at the top and bottom, end bars connecting with the upper portions of the end posts, end bars connectin g with the interior surfaces of the end posts and on a lower plane than'the outer end bars, the top side bars also being on a lowerplane than the outer end bars, bars connecting with the opposite sides of the partition-posts, the said bars being on a plane with the inner end bars, and baskets adapted to be supported in the crate.

RUSSELL BRAINARD FULLER.

Witnesses:

ISAAC FAIRBANKS,

JAMES S. WHELAN. 

